The Sword and The Blade
by BlueRetroPenguin
Summary: Under the apprenticeship of Meta Knight, Blade Knight has recurring dreams of another one, a purple knight who constantly defeats him in battle; Sword Knight. Be it by free will or fate, when the opportunity presents itself, Blade goes in search of the answer to why there are two knights in Dreamland, an adventure that uncovers much more than he could imagine. AU, MC Blade Knight


**The Sword and The Blade**

_Chapter 1: Nightmares_

* * *

It was the same dream again.

By now he had had the dream, no, nightmare so many times before that he was immediately lucid, fully aware of the fake nature of his mind's eye. That did not make the surrounding flames any less menacing, any less dangerous as they encircled him completely and caged him in. He'd tried to run before, diving into the flames in vain, but he knew better by now. Fire burned with the same intense painful passion in his mind as outside it and only made escape slower.

There was only one way to escape.

So he turned and faced his opponent, same as it always was. Light of the flames danced as reflections off it's visor but was never able to penetrate into the dark, empty sockets of its helmet. The identity of his enemy had always remained a mystery, hiding within the deep lavender suit of armor it always wore. But even with such differing armament, they were both well aware of their expertise; swordplay.

With that thought in mind, his adversary unsheathed its sword, giving off a menacing glint from its Gladius as it planted itself into a fighting stance. Assumedly from some twisted code of honor, it had never attacked before he copied its movements in turn, and, finding no alternative, he always removed his sword from its scabbard likewise and laid a firm grip on his Spatha with equal intensity. No matter how many times they had gone through this, it always struck him with irony the fact that both of their swords had once been manufactured for gladiatorial combat.

*Clang*

He wasn't given much longer to humor himself over such trivialities before defending from a viscous assault. Raising his sword, he was quickly met with a downward cut. Every thrust, swipe, slice, and parry was merciless, and dare he say hateful, as if every motion was only intent for one purpose. Kill, Kill, Kill each of his thunderous parry's rang in his ears. Defend, Wait, Patience he heard from his own sword's stout adherence to each motion. It was smarter to wait for an opening than attacking with wild abandon, he had always thought, or at least, been taught. But unlike him, his assailant attacked on purely offense. Make no mistake; there was not an ounce of recklessness in its pattern. They were equals in the art of sword fighting, almost perfect foils in style and in rhythm, as if the entire battle was a stage production. No matter how close they got though, he could never see the face of his-

*Slllwoosh*

Due to his lack of concentration, the next blow knocked his sword clean from his hand, and the next sent him crashing to the ground. A metal boot came to rest on his body plate, a sword raised over his sole weak point, the crimson visor, and a silent victor looking down on him without emotion. There was never a word between them now; he had begged for his life plenty of times before without receiving a trace of recognition. Never a laugh, nor cry, nor shout of victory. The purple knight never said a word.

So he closed his eyes and let the sword descend, like it always did.

There was only one way this nightmare ended.

* * *

Blade shot up in his bed, panting. He couldn't figure out why even now he still wakes up in a burning sweat from the same nightmare over and over again. It was one of the few moments in which he wished sir Meta-Knight would let him remove his armor, but Meta-Knight held fast to a rather strict code that he impressed upon his apprentice as well, and that included a constant concealment of one's identity. Even so, Blade held only the highest respect for his master.

Speaking of the devil...

"Troubled sleep once again?"

The apprentice nearly jumped out of his suit at the voice of his master, so quiet was he that Blade didn't even notice him standing by the window, moonlight casting a faint glow off his ever present mask.

"Y-yes sir Meta Knight", he blubbered.

"Was it the dream?" the dark blue Star Warrior inquired, either ignoring or taking no notice of his apprentice's apprehensivity.

"Indeed" Blade said in reply, choosing not to get out of the bed. Instead, he was more struck by the fact Meta-Knight was in his room at all. True, the master could be described as akin more towards a cluster of mossy boulders than a father when it came to matters of the heart, but he had his own way of showing his brand of courtesy, respect, and what some brave souls would call affection. One of those mysterious ways was through granting Blade the utmost privacy within his bed chamber, having never been seen to step within it save the day the galactic solider first took in his humble apprentice. That was, until now.

"Did you win?" the masked knight asked as a second question that only managed to send Blade into a deeper confusion. Sure, he had described his recurring visions in great detail to his master before, but he had never received more than "Hmmm" at best and a miniscule nod at worst. After so many subsequent attempts, the synonymous endings started to embarrass the poor knight in training to the point he merely failed to mention it nowadays, neither adding nor taking away from the retelling.

"No. No, _sir_" he added, casting his already hidden face from Meta-Knight. As it was though, Meta-Knight did not cease staring at the moon, the light barely equal to that of his own glowing golden eyes.

"Is that so?" he said to Blade, or maybe to himself, or maybe to the moon. but in any case he soon spun around and proceeded to exit the room, only speaking once more on exit. "We will be training again early tomorrow before heading into town. I advise you get some rest before then", before taking another step through the door frame.

"Master?" Blade called after him, the gravely nature of the mature set of vocal chords setting in not making him feel any less childish for calling after someone like a child without its blankey. Things were obviously amiss though, outside just his master's intrusion of both his conscious and subconscious privacy. It was not his intention to doubt his master, but such was the way things were, which fueled him to say, "Is there... something you're not telling me?

Instantly he regretted his failure to articulate better. If it was any solace though, Meta-Knight did not immediately order him to twenty laps with the plow, but instead all that passed through his gruff lips was, "I do not wish to lie to you", before he was gone.

Those words wrapped around Blade like a slithering snake, suffocating any hope of a peaceful sleep out of him.

* * *

Upon rising the following morning, feelings from the previous night had not worn off. Still, strict as ever protocol was adhered to, beginning with their sword technique training sessions. By this time Blade felt he had a firm mastery of all frontal swipes and jabs possible and wanted instead to practice the Air Cutter movements, but Meta-Knight regularly chastised his easily excited behavior. "The best offensive is a powerful defense" he would always say, and Blade rarely could figure out if this was a universal truth or merely Meta's ability to bend even sanctity of words to his own will. Nevertheless, if there was ever any place in which the younger swordsman felt truly patient and at peace, it was behind the sword. His sword; the Spatha. (It was within one of these moments that he found further joy in life's ironies, here being the fact that he was most tranquil in what would be perceived as life threatening situations). Being under the (sometimes literal) wing of one of the galaxy's greatest sword-masters certainly paid off though and shown through in Blade's mounting natural ability.

"Good" Meta-Knight finally said after Blade had parried him an upwards of one hundred times. Even so, the master was not heard to even take a breath as the apprentice bent over and heavily panted. "Let us go see about the business of the king then."

"Excuse me but", Blade gasped, holding up one of his mits, "Meta Knight, sir-"

"Save your breathe for now. We will discuss the matter later" he replied, already stalking down the path headed toward town, leaving the squire to wonder exactly how he always managed to be one step ahead of him in both ability _and _intellect.

Over the ridge that hid Meta-Knight's humble abode located on the outskirts of Whispy Woods was a quaint little township by the name of Cappy Town, in which lived the people of the Cappy race, peaceful creatures that all resembled your stereotypical cartoon ghost character with a peculiar yellowish skin-tone to them. Beyond their off putting outward appearances lay hearts of gold, for the people of Cappy Town never fought, never had crime, and were never heard to get into any wars. As the two knights made their way by the idyllic shops and homely housing, many would open their windows or step outside to wave and greet the passing residents. Blade felt obliged to wave back and maybe even participate in light conversation, but Meta-Knight would barley even nod his mask at anyone before ushering his liege along. "Come, we do not want to upset the king" he would say, but Blade always found that equally hard to believe. The king seemed perpetually upset over something, and if not, then he was upset over having nothing to be upset about. And today seemed like one of the latter.

"What good is it havin' royal knights around if there ai'nt nothing for them to... to knight over!?" King Dedede complained as the knights in question rested upon their knees. And here Blade came upon yet_ another _object of which he did not understand about his daily routine. Between the two of them, Meta-Knight was _obviously_ the better man in comparison to this oaf Dedede, so why didn't _he _rule over Cappy Town? Over Dreamland? With a lavish castle, riches for miles, and an entire town of avid followers? "You will understand one day" Meta-Knight had said when Blade voiced his opinions many years ago, before he had learned one of the finer aspects of growing up: the art of subtly. Still, that was the general response to anything the apprentice said outside of "Yes, sir" and "No, sir". To King Dedede's whinings, Meta-Knight usually remained silent, for they found that eventually the penguin king would simply talk himself out.

"Are you implying there are no tasks for us to complete today, sire?" Meta-Knight finally inquired.

"'Course not! I want you two to go _find_ something to beat up, so we can have it hung on the castle bridge! Ya know, as a sign. So no one will even think to mess with the mighty King Dedede!"

"As you wish, majesty" the knight responded and swept his cape around as he left the throne room, Blade quickly falling in behind him. Such was the childish whimsy of the king of Dreamland.

When they were beyond the vicinity of the castle, Blade spoke up to ask, "What do you plan to do, sir Meta-Knight?"

"Since we have nothing of grave importance to", the dark knight responds in turn, continuing into town, "I was thinking of granting you the... err, _day off_, so to say."

Now_ this_ was a surprise. It seemed as if the last day had brought of a collection of firsts for the masked knight. "But sir, the king-."

"You and I are both well aware the king's fancies sway like the tides of the sea" was the sum of his response. "Besides, I have important matters I must attend to myself. Do not cause any trouble while I am gone" he continued and then, to Blade's astonishment, leapt and then soared through the air in broad day light to a company of multiple eyes following his departure over the horizon and leaving the young knight alone on the Cappy Town streets.

* * *

It was moments like these in which Blade honestly had no idea what to do with himself.

Don't get the wrong idea. He was quite happy for the respite between all his work, chore, and training filled days. Times like these allowed him to enjoy the world, to talk to the people, to explore the town. As much as he enjoyed being under the care of the town hero so to say, it was the moments like this he felt _truly_ alive and at peace, not just behind the stoic protection of the sword.

Still though, it was times like these in which he felt most alone as well. As much time as he spent helping and conversing with the pleasant people of Cappy Town, it only served to remind him of the dull, gnawing fact that, outside of Meta-Knight, he had no other companions (and it was also now that he wondered if Meta-Knight could truly be considered his friend or if they were purely in a dictatorial relationship. This was one question he had never mustered up the courage to ask). Even though he had been around for quite some time now, and even though he was very helpful and friendly around town, and even though all of the residents of Cappy Town look at him with a smile and spoke to him with kindness, he could still detect even just the slightest traces of apprehension at his existence. This was not without reason, and he knew it. Many, _many_ years before, before Blade had come to take residence in Cappy Town as a child, the Dreamland that everyone knew was one filled with dangerous monsters and creatures of unnatural ability that used their power to dominate and terrorize the weak and powerless creatures of the land, such as the Cappy's. The group of terrorizing enemies called themselves _The Mid-Bosses _and were headed by Bomb Expert Poppy, Hammer Aficionado Bonkers, Wrestling Champion Bugzy, and many other combatants, though no one ever learned who it was in charge of the lot of them. The head honchos all had offspring that carried along their abilities, the group of them creating entire armies at such an alarming rate that it contained no logical explanation.

Then, and no one remembers when, how, or why (Blade being the only one close enough and brave enough to address the knight about it, and then only receiving the answer "I have an important mission", though Meta-Knight was rarely seen beyond the region of Cappy Town), the galactic warrior Meta-Knight came to the planet of Dreamland and with his single sword Galaxia, liberated the entirety of Dreamland by either driving away or dispatching of all the greater monsters to their own worlds. Though many of the lesser creatures were skeptical of the masked knight, for both showing his great strength and also due to the fact he refused to show his identity, he did manage to prove his power was gained naturally and, when he did not threaten the smaller creature, earn their collective respect. And though King Dedede now likes to claim that it was indeed_ he_ who drove away all the monsters of Dreamland, Meta-Knight's constant vigilance over the town and its inhabitants kept the story straight in their minds.

This did not, however, manage to completely withdraw the stigma surrounding Blade Knight, for it was obvious that he was an offspring to one of the monsters of times of past, even if none could imagine just exactly who he was from. It was plainly apparent in his clothing, and though Meta-Knight attempted to never let the people of Cappy Town see him in action, it was also obvious in his unnatural canniness with a sword. Indeed, it should have taken one as young as him many _decades_ to become as skilled in the act of sword fighting as one as experienced as Meta-Knight, and yet these days he could hold up fairly well against his master's rigorous training (though he was never admitted to that his master was holding back less and less each day). Nevertheless, just the way that Meta-Knight always cast a ray of hope upon the people of Dreamland, Blade also managed to remind them of the troubled past and the constant possibility of a bleak future.

And so it was on these sorts of days that Blade knight was left to contemplate such things as he lay in his bed, doing an abundance of nothing, though in such a busy state of living he valued moments of nothing at a much higher price than most. Only when those moments became harbors of self-pity did they become more harm than good. Fortunately, it was within that Meta-Knight was heard to arrive back home.

"Sir Meta Knight!" Blade called out, bounding out of his bed and into the common area of the house, a large room that made for both the kitchen, dining area, and living room. Meta Knight came in and rested himself upon one of the chairs but did not perform any other tasks that may have made him more comfortable, such as removing his steel boots or mask. "How did you find you travels to be?"

"Adequate" the brooding knight replied simply, and after awhile Blade realized he did not plan on elaborating any further. In that case...

"Sir-" he began, but was immediately cut off by a sigh coming from within the mask, and no glow from his eyes was to be seen, meaning they were closed, probably in deep thought. Blade chose not to continue.

Meta-Knight did eventually speak up though. "I assume you are meaning to inquire about your dreams after my sudden show of interest, naturally." When the hood of Blade's uniform moved in a nod, Meta-Knight continued. "At least I can continue with the knowledge I have taught you well, in that case." Blade, again, chose to remain silent.

"Have you ever wondered _why_ I train you?" Meta-Knight inquired eventually in such a way that threw off the young knight. Meta-Knight was _certianly_ not known to be the sentimental type, that was for sure.

"Eh, mmm- I mean- yes. Sir."

The darker knight nodded once again, saying, "Naturally", more to himself than to anyone in particular. Suddenly he shot his bright golden eyes at Blade and began speaking in a grave manner.

"The knight in your dreams. He wears a purple armor, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Is that the case?" Meta-Knight says and turns away for a moment before returning his gaze on his apprentice. "In the south, on a neighboring island, I believe that there is a beast insurrection in process. Though I do not know of the nature of their will or where they have come from, it appears they have stationed themselves within the Donut Plains. They group in large numbers and are obviously attempting to inset fear into the villagers before they perform an assault."

Throughout the entirety of this explanation, Blade remained quiet, but his eyes became wider and wider as his master spoke until finally Meta-Knight nodded his consent for him to speak, when he said, "What does this have to do with my dreams, master?"

"I believe this knight of your dreams is leading the insurrection as we speak."

His heart skipped a beat. The same knight that had been haunting his dreams for multiple years actually _exists_!? Just across the water? Before he let his hopes (and fears) become to great though, Blade attempted to sound calm as he asked, "Then why do you not simply go and thwart their rebellion? It seems like a simple task if there is only one army."

The knight shook his head and said, "Indeed, that would be the case, if I did not have reservations about the safety of Cappy Town. Kabu has been foretelling of dangerous storm of some kind coming this way, though if he is talking literally or metaphorically this time, I do not know. Still, I fear if I abandon my post here, even greater dangers may arise."

Both knights remained silent in voice for some time after that, though to be frank, Blade couldn't imagine how Meta-Knight didn't hear his heart threatening to burst out of his chest, until finally, as nonchalant as possible, he spoke up. "Why don't you have me go and defend the south?" He began to speak faster as he felt denial coming in, attempting to get all his points across in one sentence."I could just take a pod of the Halbred and Im sure with how much you've-"

"No" Meta-Knight said bluntly, and Blade immediately ceases to speak, but not without appearing mildly crestfallen"You are neither strong enough nor mature enough for that sort of task." "

I was however," Meta-Knight contained, "thinking of leaving Cappy Town to you for awhile, while _I _go and investigate Donut Plains."

Any other time, Blade would have been ecstatic at the thought of actually getting a real job, a real _heroes errand_ so to say, but in this one, specific case, he couldn't get the thought of the Purple Knight out of his head. How much he longed to settle to score, even if it meant...

Before he could respond though, Meta-Knight hopped down from the table, a movement that always signaled the end of a discussion, even mid-way like tonight's. Still, before disappearing completely into his own bedroom, Meta-Knight did turn around and say. "We will discuss the perpetration for my departure more in the early morning. Get some sleep."

With that, the mysterious knight mysteriously disappeared into his mysterious room.

That night, Blade could not get the Purple Knight out of his head. Sleep evaded him with the efficiency of a hare covered in butter, for all he could imagine was getting to truly fight a real battle, one without anyone holding back on him, and one with that Purple Knight. He felt strangely connected to it, and though he did not have any perception of destiny, it could be said that they may just be tied together by the red string of fate. And even when he did finally manage to fall asleep, he only dreamed yet again of his opponent. When we woke up in cold sweat for over the hundredth time, he felt something different. He felt like this time, he had been close, just _that _close to defeating it. And with that thought in mind and feeling in his heart, he hopped out of bed, opened the window without making a sound, and sprinted away into the forest.

To face destiny.

* * *

**Ever wonder why there are two Helpers that are basically the same enemy? Im talking about Sword Knight and Blade Knight here! (Blade Knight is the one that is usually all light green and has the plume and red visor while Sword Knight is the one with the helmet that actually looks like a face. Personally I think Sword Knight is more badass out of the two but thats besides the point. Sword ability is one of my favorites anyhow) Well Ive always wondered about that, so I decided I'd write a story out of it! So forget whatever the developers might have said and lets just all go into this with an open mind!**

**Since this is just a spur of the moment idea, I have no idea where this could go or how long it will be! I do, however, understand the original lore behind Sword and Blade being apprenticed by Meta Knight (the whole saving from the Wolfwrath deal) and am just saying throw all of that out of your mind if you know about it, and if you dont, good! This is just a retelling of the story then (so I guess its already a bit AU... ). Anyway, heres a promise for longer chapters in the future, seeing as this is JUST THE BEGINNING. Think of this as my putting it in a pre-anime universe, as in before Kirby comes along but not far from it. Im going to describe everything though in a way that makes it so that even those who HAVENT seen in the anime can still understand everything (Please dont go!). Soon enough their going to be far and away from Cappy Town anyway, and thus out of range into an area that is for the most part planned to be fully original, save the names (like Donut Plains, for example).**

**See you next time!**


End file.
